Atoka County Criminal Court

Atoka County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Atoka County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Atoka County.

Right to Jury Trial

For “Serious Crimes”, those that can have a potential penalty of 6 months in jail OR a minimum $500 penalty, the US Constitution guarantees a right to trial by jury. This is guaranteed by Article III of the Constitution and the 6th Amendment. The accused has the ability to waive their right to trial by jury.

What if I can’t afford an attorney?

The 6th Amendment guarantees you the right to an attorney whether or not you can afford one. If you cannot afford one, a public defender will be appointed by the court to represent you.

Atoka County Criminal Court

Atoka County Criminal Court

Arraignments in Atoka County

During an arraignment in Atoka County, a defendant appears before the court and the judge reads the charges that have been filed against the accused and also informs the defendant of his/her rights. During the arraignment in Atoka County, the defendant can choose to plead one of the following 1) Guilty 2) Not Guilty or 3) No Contest. If the defendant enters a plea of Not Guilty, a date for trial is set. In the event of a Guilty or No Contest Plea in Atoka County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.

Required Court Appearances in Atoka County

Any required court appearances in Atoka County Criminal Court must be attended by the defendant. Failure to appear in court at your required date and time may result in the judge issuing an arrest warrant.

Where will Atoka County criminal case hearings take place?

Criminal cases will take place at the criminal courts of Atoka County. See here for the location of the criminal courts in Atoka County.

Defendant Sentencing

At a sentence hearing the judge will inform the defendant of the sentence that will be imposed. This sometimes occurs at the same hearing in which the defendant is found guilty (either by trial or plea agreement). In can also occur at a later date, most often this is due to the complexity of the case where more time is needed to determine the appropriate sentence.

Prosecutor in Atoka County

In Atoka County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Atoka County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Oklahoma. For the most part, the prosecutor in Atoka County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.

What is a Plea Agreement?

A plea agreement is a deal made between the prosecution and the defendant in a case, where the defendant agrees to plea guilty to a particular charge in exchange for some concession from the prosecutor. In practice, more than 90% of criminal cases end with a plea agreement.

Burden of Proof Requirement

In a criminal case in the United States, the burden of proof always requires the prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. This is a high threshold that must be met by the prosecution when presenting evidence in a case. If the prosecution fails in it’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt the judge must find the defendant not guilty. In a jury trial, the judge will inform the jury what this burden is and their obligation to find the defendant not guilty if they feel the prosecution did prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Appealing a Criminal Conviciton

A defendant may appeal a criminal conviction to an appellate court. In an appeal, the actual trial is not redone, but the appellate court hears arguments that the criminal case was not handled in a legal manner at the original criminal court. The appellate court can either uphold the conviction, or determine that errors were made and may request a retrial, a resentencing of the defendant or that the charges be dismissed.

Jury Deliberations in Atoka County

In Atoka County, jury deliberations will take place in a jury trial after the prosecution and defense have presented their cases and rested. At this point, the judge will provide a list of instructions to the jury about what they are allowed and not allowed to do and what verdict options are available for them to decide. The jury will be sent to a private room to discuss the evidence presented in the case and attempt to reach a unaminous decision. When a unaminous decision is reached, the jury will inform the judge that they have reached a verdict and will return to the courtroom for the verdict to be read allowed. In the event that the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the jury results in a deadlock and a mistrial is declared.

Who can help me in Atoka County?

For general information about your case the Atoka County court clerk will be able to provide legal information about your specific criminal case. Legal information is not legal advice though, the court clerk will only be able to provide information about your case, like date/time of hearings what will occur at the hearing and what you may be required to do in the hearing. They cannot provide advice about what you should do or what the best legal options may be for your particular case. Only an attorney can provide legal advice and this is your best place for information about your specific criminal proceeding. If you cannot afford to hire a private attorney to represent you, a judge will appoint an attorney to represent you, this is most often a public defender.

Atoka County Criminal Court Locations

  • Atoka County District Court

    Address: 200 East Court Street, Atoka, OK 74525
    Phone: 580-889-3565 Fax: 580-889-5075

  • Atoka Municipal Court

    Address: 1002 West Liberty Road, Atoka, OK 74525
    Phone: 580-889-3250

  • Caney Municipal Court

    Address: 203 North Cobb Avenue, PO Box 85, Caney, OK 74533
    Phone: 580-889-8842

  • Stringtown Municipal Court

    Address: 104 Pecan Avenue, PO Box 98, Stringtown, OK 74569
    Phone: 580-346-7759

  • Tushka Municipal Court

    Address: 101 SE 1st Street, Atoka, OK 74525
    Phone: 580-889-3046

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